DH Wine Compliance, founded by CEO and compliance consultant Drea Helfer in 2010, is valued by its clients for two key characteristics: expertly managing wine compliance for winery clients and a culture committed to exceptional customer service. Helfer’s dedication to fostering a positive workplace culture is a significant part of the company’s strong customer service reputation.
“I’m passionate about our culture,” she explains. An internal culture where employees are happy has a trickle-down effect. It means they will go the extra mile for our winery customers.” The company has continued to maintain the quality of its culture while it has grown over the years. Today, DHWC is one of the largest compliance firms in the US.
In recent years, DH Wine Compliance has embraced a more collaborative approach to customer service with wineries. This approach involves cross-functional teams composed of specialists from four distinct departments:
- Cal-Fed Operational Licensing: Handles California State ABC and Federal TTB licensing, COLA/FLA submission, trade name additions, and related matters.
- Cal-Fed Operational Reporting: Completes and files all TTB, CDTFA, CDFA, and ABC operational reports.
- Out-of-State Licensing: Assists wineries with licenses outside of California for three-tier and direct-to-consumer (DTC) operations, covering license applications, renewals, brand registrations, distributor appointments, research projects, and price posting.
- Out-of-State Reporting: Manages three-tier and DTC reporting for excise and sales tax, as well as working with their ShipCompliant accounts.
With this innovative approach, the four departments collaborate closely to anticipate clients’ needs. For example, suppose a winery client tells a team member they are planning to change their address. In that case, they will go to the team and prepare a timeline for address changes to ensure the winery runs smoothly with state licenses during their next round of wine club shipments.
Another transformative change has been the introduction of DH Wine Compliance’s proprietary software. This tool puts each winery’s information at the team’s fingertips, making them more efficient in supporting the client with tasks and questions that only humans can manage. The software will also add value to winery clients’ experience when they launch the planned client portal. “We look forward to launching this one-of-a-kind software to the general public in the coming months,” says Helfer, who has been developing the software for a number of years with the help of her trusted staff members and developers.
The compliance industry’s transition to electronic filings and record keeping has been a leisurely one. “In theory, the online filings should be more efficient,” says Helfer, “but in many ways, it’s really more time-consuming to file reports and license renewals since the online system sometimes requires more information.” This change also complicates the already complex process for wineries managing wine compliance on their own.
Wineries of all sizes turn to DH Wine Compliance for the peace of mind that comes with expert guidance. Their team ensures that the winery’s licenses and reports are consistently on time and fully compliant with the latest state and federal regulations. By outsourcing these critical tasks to experts, like outsourcing tax preparation, wineries can focus on what they do best ― making and selling wine.
Visit DH Wine Compliance at WIN Expo booth 338 on December 5, 2024.
WIN Expo Exhibitors by Category:
North Coast Wine Industry Expo – WIN Expo – at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, CA on Thursday, December 5, 2024.
